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Re: String sizes and other advice needed
In a message dated 01/14/2000 1:42:21 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Kojaque@email.msn.com writes:
<< Question 1: I decided to turn an old, standard scaled electric guitar
of
mine (an 80's G&L SC-3) into a lower register guitar. I want to get down
to
a B or C on the 6th string. What string gauges would be necessary to keep
aproximately the same tension as if it were strung up in standard pitch
with
9's or 10's? If anyone plays a 7 string, what gauge is your lowest (B?)
string? Also, I know there are some Crafty Guitarists out there: What
gauges do you guys use especially for your 6th string? >>
Try the following gauges available from GHS..
6th: C76 tune to A (compound wound)
5th: C52 tune to D (compound wound)
4th: 022 tune to G (higher octave)
3rd: 018 tune to C (higher octave)
2nd: 026 tune to E
1st 018 tune to A
This will give you an interesting (Alto) guitar sound...and put some of
your
harmony in the middle strings, inverting the tone...great for fingerstyle
work....If you get a friend to play a Requinto (mexican) small guitar
tuned
to the same tuning, but an octave higher...together you'll sound like a
grand
piano...:-)
I use this as an alternate guitar for solo work often, as it increases the
tonal range of the instrument and covers the bottom end nicely and
produces
interesting harmonies, a well.....I understand the studio guitarist Joe
Beck
also uses a similar tuning, on a Cort Alto guitar with a 24 3/4" scale.
With this tuning you just play as you would normally...some songs sound
better than others, of course...but you don't have to "learn" to play a
new
tuning or new instrument, like a 7 string...it's a good way of expanding
your
tone and sound, economically, and easily. You may have to fool with the
nut
to get the action the way you want it, and of course the bridge.
I've got an ES-330, a nylvon flamenco and an ES175D configured that way.
and, my Flaquinto which is a double neck Flamenco/Requinto.
FOr the nylon string I've been using Bronze Pearse 076, and 052 for the
6th
and 5th...then, I use strings from a Requinto set (nylon for the two
middle
strings, and I use the standard (2nd and 3rd nylon strings) for the 1st
and
2nd strings....it works...and doesn't seem to put any "new added" tension
to
the neck...sounds cool, too! I'd like to get the flamenco/classical
string
manufacturers to produce a standard set of strings for this
application...I
hate to break up so many sets just to get the strings I want, and not all
are
easily available as singles....
Hope this gives you some ideas....
Regards, Wayne Wesley Johnson
<A HREF="http://www.indie-music.com/johnsonromero.shtml">Johnson / Romero
Review ~ Indie-Music.com</A>